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Reminiscences 
Of  Ten  Years  Experience 

i. 

On  the 
We^ern  Plains 


HOW  THE  UNITED  STATES 
MAILS  WERE.  "  '  UED  BEv 
FORE  RAILROAPS  REACHED 

THE  SANT*.  '"■■  ■■     ■" 


B\'  j.\M 


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<' '  s'   . '  \<}>-  '.v  '; 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 


The  Joanne  Katherine  Miller  Fund 


In  1858  I  was  employed  by  Messrs.  Hall  &  Porter,  overland  mail 
contractors,  as  helper,  carrying  the  United  States  weekly  mail  from 
Independence.  Jackson  County,  Missouri,  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  775 
miles,  on  a  schedule  of  twenty-one  days,  signing  Articles  of  Agreement 
to  serve  one  year  or  forfeit  ten  dollars  per  month  of  my  salary,  if  I 
did  not  carry  out  my  contract.  Starting  from  Col.  Hall's  residence  Mon- 
day morning,  with  six  mules  hitched  to  an  ambulance  marked  on  each 
side  in  large  letters,  "U.  S.  M.,"  Conductor  Michael  Smith  riding  a  saddle 
mule  alongside  the  team  with  a  blacksnake  whip  in  hand,  two  pistols 
hanging  from  a  belt  around  his  body.  I  held  the  lines,  sitting  on  the 
seat  of  the  vehicle,  driving  direct  to  the  Post  Office,  receiving  a  through 
and  way  mail  sack,  calling  at  the  Company's  office  for  passengers  and 
express.  Stage  fare  for  passenger  and  forty  pounds  of  baggage  to  Santa 
Fe,  one  hundred  and  twentj-five  dollars;  way  fare,  twenty-five  cents  per 
mile.  It  took  two  days  to  reach  Council  Grove,  Kansas — one  hundred 
miles,  supplying  mail  to  all  Post  Offices  on  the  route.  Starting  from 
Independence,  going  by  way  of  Pitchers  Mill,  crossing  the  Blue  River. 
Roads  were  so  bad  that  the  team  could  make  but  little  headway.  It 
was  night  when  we  reached  Mr.  McCoy's  farm,  where  the  team  got  mired 
and  lay  down  in  the  midd'e  of  the  road,  and  would  not  get  up  until  we 
unharnessed  them.  Conductor  Smith  went  to  see  Mr.  McCoy,  who  im- 
mediately sent  a  man  and  a  yoke  of  cattle  to  haul  the  mail  wagon  to  a 
house  one-quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  we  were  stalled,  and  where 
we  stopped  all  night,  getting  supper,  breakfast  and  feed  for  the  mules. 
Starting  early  next  morning  after  the  harness  that  was  lying  in  the  mud, 
leading  the  mules,  bringing  a  pick  and  hatchet  to  clean  off  the  frozen 
mud  before  we  could  get  them  on  the  animals.  Calling  at  Westport 
Post  Office  for  exchange  of  mails,  continuing  our  route,  Olathe,  Kansas, 
Gardner,  Baldwin  City,  110-Mile  Creek,  Burlingame,  Big  John  Springs, 
Council  Grove,  where  we  exchanged  the  ambulance  for  a  heavy  two- 
horse  covered  wagon  with  a  boot  attached,  to  carry  our  provisions  and 
cooking  utensils,  also  an  assistant  helper  for  the  long  route  to  Fort 
Union,  New  Mexico — loading  the  wagon  bed  with  corn  in  two-bushel 
sacks,  sufficient  rations  for  the  mules  until  we  reached  Fort  Union,  575 
miles.  It  took  seventeen  davs  to  make  the  distance,  sleeping  on  the 
ground  in  all  kinds  of  weather — passengers  took  kindly  to  the  situation, 
using  the  corn  sacks  for  a  mattress  to  sleep  on.  Fastening  all  the  rails 
of  wood  we  could  to  the  axles  of  the  wagon  to  cook  our  meals,  if  buffalo 
chips  could  not  be  used.  Six  large  mules  hitched  to  the  heavy  wagon, 
two  extras  and  a  Bell  pony  fastened  to  the  off-side  of  the  team.  One 
man  rode  a  saddle  mule  alongside  the  team  to  keep  its  movements  as  the 
Conductor  directed.  We  had  a  lariat  and  picket  pin  for  each  animal, 
securing  them  at  night  from  returning  to  the  quarters  they  had  left. 
Going  by  way  of  Diamond  Springs,  Lost  Springs,  Cottonwood  Creek, 
Turkey  Creek,  Little  Arkansas.  Cow  Creek.  Arkansas  River,  Walnut 
Creek,  Pawnee  Rocks,  Ash  Creek,  Pawnee  Fork.  Coon  Creek  and  Caches 
Foot  of  the  dry  route,  Comarone  Crossing  of  the  Arkansas  River,  from 
the  latter  point  it  was  three  hundred  miles  to  Fort  Union,  without  a 
Post  Office  or  habtation  through  a  savage  territory,  infested  with  Kiowa 
and  Comanche  Indians.  Fording  the  river  and  continuing  the  route  by 
way  of  the  Battle  Ground  Bone  Yard,  Sand  Creek,  Lower  Cimarone 
Springs,  Middle  Cimarone  Springs.  Willow  Bar,  Upper  Cimarone  Springs, 
Cold  Springs,  McNe&es  Creek,  Cedar  Creek,  Whitslone  Creek,  Rabit  Ear 


Creek,  Round  Mound,  Rock  Creek,  Point  of  Rocks,  Rio  Colorado,  Ocate, 
Santa  Clara  Springs,  Apache  Canon,  Bourgon  Valley,  Fort  Union.  We 
made  three  drives  a  day  and  always  stopping  at  noon  to  water  the  mules 
and  let  them  browse  around  for  half  an  hour.  When  creeks  were  frozen 
we  would  have  to  cut  the  ice  before  we  could  get  the  mules  to  cross; 
one  man  always  rode  alongside  the  team  to  see  that  each  animal  did 
his  portion  of  the  work.  It  would  be  far  advanced  in  the  night  some- 
times when  our  day's  journey  was  completed.  We  cooked  twice  a  day, 
using  an  oilcloth  spread  on  the  ground  for  a  table  cloth,  starting  early 
every  morning  to  get  water  for  breakfast.  In  summer  we  could  see 
buffalo  as  far  as  our  eyes  could  reach;  when  they  were  quiet  and 
lying  down,  it  was  our  sign  that  there  were  no  Indians  in  the  vicinity. 
There  was  a  great  rush  of  travel  in  the  fall  of  1858  on  account  of  re- 
ports of  rich  gold  discoveries  in  Pikes  Peak.  The  gold  seekers  travel- 
ed the  Santa  Fe  Trail  until  they  reached  the  fork  of  the  road  to  bring 
them  to  the  promised  land,  which  junction  is  about  fifteen  miles  west 
of  where  Dodge  City  is  now  located. 

I  have  seen  gangs  of  women  pushing  go  carts  accompanied  by  men. 
I  often  met  a  lone  man  with  all  his  belongings  tied  up  in  a  handker- 
chief, hanging  on  the  rifle  he  was  carrying  on  his  shoulder.  Camped 
at  noon,  greasing  the  mail  wagon  at  The  Dead  Man's  Hollow,  about  150 
miles  east  of  Fort  Union.  We  were  suprised  by  a  band  of  Kiowa  Indians, 
threatening  our  lives,  if  we  d'd  not  give  them  all  our  provisions.  They 
were  very  saucy,  150  strong  and  only  three  in  our  party.  We  con- 
cluded they  were  bad  Indians  and  were  as  compilable  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  Traveling  all  night  to  get  as  far  from  them  as  we  pos- 
sibly could.  About  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  we  heard  a  call,  believ- 
ing it  to  be  the  Indians  following  us,  we  prepared  to  defend  ourselves 
the  best  way  we  could.  Overtaken  by  an  Indian  wanting  to  know  if 
we  saw  any  Indians;  we  told  him  where  we  met  the  band  he  was  in- 
quiring for.  Turning  his  pony  and  going  in  the  direction  we  told  him. 
We  kept  on  traveling  as  long  as  our  animals  were  able  to  stand  it,  to 
get  as  far  as  possible  from  those  blood  thirsty  demons. 

In  winter  the  prairie  would  be  burned  for  hundreds  of  miles  and 
looked  as  black  as  if  an  artist  had  used  his  brush.  When  snow  covered 
the  ground,  prairie  and  trail  looked  alike;  we  would  point  our  wagon 
tongue  in  the  direction  we  were  going  to  guide  us  on  the  right  trail. 
Reaching  Fort  Union,we  exchanged  our  heavy  wagon  for  an  ambulance 
similar  to  the  one  we  started  with  from  Independence,  leaving  one  man 
10  have  everything  ready  when  we  returned  from  Santa  Fe  with  the 
Eastern  mail;  continuing  the  route  by  way  of  Las  Vegas  Toclota,  San 
Jose,  Pecos  River,  Rick  Correll,  Santa  Fe.  Citizens  would  gather  on 
the  plaza  to  welcome  the  Eastern  mail,  almost  a  month  old,  from  New 
York  and  furnish  us  with  tickets  to  a  fandango. 

The  principal  merchants  in  Santa  Fe  in  those  days  were  Messrs. 
Elburg  and  Amburg,  Messrs.  Beck  and  Johnson,  and  Mr.  Spickelburg. 
The  Refunda  is  the  only  hotel  I  recollect.  After  a  week's  rest  we  would 
start  back  for  Independence  with  the  Eastern  mail.  Covering  the  points 
and  Post  Offices  already  mentioned,  to  Fort  Union;  everything  being 
ready  to  continue  our  trip,  we  hitched  to  our  heavy  covered  wagon  with 
the  same  number  of  mules  and  equipment  we  had  leaving  Council  Grove. 
There  was  no  Post  Office  until  we  reached  Cow  Creek,  Kansas.  Four 
hundred   and   twenty-five   miles  frisighters,    emigrants   and    all   travelers 


between  those  points  used  the  weekly  mail  wagon  as  a  distributing  office. 
Receiving  and  delivering  letters  addressed  to  persons  on  the  trail,  mail- 
ing all  letters  received  at  the  first  Post  Office  we  reached.  From  April 
to  late  in  the  fall  we  would  be  in  sight  of  a  wagon  train  loaded  with 
supplies  going  Westt,  or  coming  East  loaded  with  wool  and  other  products 
of  the  West.  Reachin  gCouncil  Grove,  we  exchanged  the  heavy  wagon  for 
the  ambulance  we  had  brought  from  Independence,  when  we  started  on 
our  Western  trip,  leaving  one  man  to  have  everything  in  readiness  to 
start  when  we  returned  from  Independence  with  the  mail  for  Santa  Fe'; 
calling  at  all  Post  Offices  for  exchange  of  mails;  arriving  at  our  destina- 
tion forty-eight  days  from  the  timem  we  left,  making  scehdule  time  from 
Independence  to  Santa  Fe  and   return. 

In  1859  the  Kiowa  Indians  went  on  the  war  path.  Bill  Allison,  ot 
Independence,  Missouri,  owned  a  ranch  at  Walnut  Creek  and  kept  a 
store,  where  freighters  and  emigrants  could  purchase  whatever  they 
required.  He  started  early  in  the  spring  with  his  mule  train  to  bring 
back  the  goods  he  ordered  to  replenish  his  store,  but  di^id  su^ldenly  at 
Wayne  City  after  loading  his  train;  Mr.  Peacock,  of  Independence,  Mis- 
souri, became  manager  of  the  ranch,  but  the  Indians  did  not  seem  to 
like  the  new  manager  and  showed  a  disposition  to  be  quarrelsome,  shoot- 
ing a  goat  belonging  to  the  ranch.  About  this  time  troops  passed  en 
route  for  Fort  Riley,  Major  Sedgwick  in  command;  Mr.  Peacock  called  on 
him  for  protection.  He  sent  Lieut.  George  D.  Baird  with  his  Company 
back  to  the  ranch  to  find  out  the  cause  of  the  troub'e.  While  talking 
over  the  matter  with  Pawnee,  a  sub-chief  of  the  Kiowa  tribe,  one  of 
the  soldiers  holding  the  lariat  fastened  around  his  pony's  neck,  he  pulled 
his  butcher  knife  from  the  scabbard,  cutting  the  lasso  and  jumping  on 
his  pony,  forcing  him  to  run  as  fast  as  he  could  go.  The  Lieutenant 
mounted  his  horse  following  and  shooting  over  him  several  times  to  let 
him  know  the  result  if  he  would  not  halt,  but  he  kept  running  as  fast 
as  his  pony  could  go;  seeing  he  would  not  halt,  the  officer  shot  and  the 
Indian  fell  dead  from  his  pony.  The  Lieutenant  then  informed  the  band 
of  Indians  he  belonged  to,  telling  them  the  reason  for  shooting  the  In- 
dian. The  weekly  mail  from  Independence  in  charge  of  Michael  Smith, 
his  brother  and  Bill  Cole,  helpers,  met  the  troops  at  Cow  Creek.  Major 
Sedgwick  detailed  forty  men  to  escort  the  mail  over  what  was  considered 
the  dangerous  ground  from  Cow  Creek  to  Pawnee  Fork,  55  miles,  making 
the  distance  without  seeing  Indians.  After  the  mail  party  took  supper, 
they  started  to  make  the  usual  night  drive;  they  were  overtaken  by  In- 
dians in  their  usual  greeting,  "How  How."  Conductor  Smith  told  Bill  Cole 
to  give  them  some  crackers — we  .glways  carried  a  barrel  of  th3m  in 
the  hind  boot  of  our  wagon,  the  kind  of  bread  we  used  on  the  plains  in 
those  days.  While  Cole  was  giving  them  the  crackers,  they  commenced 
shooting  arrows  into  the  conductor's  body,  killing  his  brother,  who  was 
holding  the  lines,  with  a  rifle,  falling  back  a  corpse  in  the  wagon. 
Cole  jumped  into  the  wagon,  picked  up  a  rifle  and  fired  at  random,  as 
he  told  me  afterwards,  causing  the  team  to  swing  off  the  road  along- 
side a  deep  ravine,  getting  out  in  front  of  the  wagon,  crawling  along 
the  ravine  in  the  dark  where  he  could  see  the  light  of  the  soldiers 
camp  fire  that  he  left  only  half  an  hour  before.  Making  his  way  in 
the  darkness,  the  escort  telling  them  the  fate  of  his  comrades.  The 
Indians  did  not  scalp  the  Smith  brothers,  but  took  the  boots  off  their 
feet,   and  taking   nine   mules,   harness   and   Bell   pony,   cutting  open  the 


mail  sacks,  and  scattering  the  contents  en  the  prairie.  Soldiers  buried 
the  bodies,  gathered  up  all  the  mail  they  could  find  and  gave  it  to  the 
first  mail  party  they  met.  Michael  Smith  was  the  first  conductor  I 
crossed  the  plains  with,  and  I  was  booked  for  one  of  his  helpers  the  trip 
he  got  killed.  I  was  sick  and  Dr.  Henry  advised  me  not  to  undertake 
the  trip.  Next  weekly  mail  after  the  murder  of  the  Smith  Brothers, 
Peter  Kelly  was  conductor;  I  was  one  of  his  helpers.  Reaching  the 
big  bend  of  the  Arkansas  River  we  met  Lieutenant  Long,  a  cavalry 
officer,  and  forty  men,  detailed  by  Major  Sedgwick  to  escort  the  mail  to 
the  Cimarone  Crossing  of  tha  Arkansas  River,  110  miles  further  west. 
Before  we  reached  the  point  where  the  escort  would  leave  us  and 
return  to  join  their  command,  we  found  three  dead  bodies,  two  men 
and  one  woman,  scalped  and  stripped  of  all  their  clothing;  they  seemed 
to  be  emigrants  murdered  where  they  were  camped,  wagon  and  yokes 
were  there,  but  no  cattle  in  sight.  Feathers  flying  all  over  the  prairie, 
bed  ticks  carried  off.  The  body  of  one  of  the  men  and  the  woman 
were  close  together;  a  litt'.e  while  dog  sitting  barking  between  them; 
a  half  burned  stick  of  wood  xying  on  the  man's  breast  showed  it  was 
on  fire  when  placed  there,  as  the  flesh  was  burned  brown.  The  supposi- 
tion at  the  time  was  the  little  dog  kept  the  wolves  away  from  the 
bodies  he  seemed  to  be  watching  over,  as  the  third  corpse  lay  fifty 
yards  from  the  other,  one  of  his  limbs  torn  from  the  body  by  those 
animals.  The  Lieutenant  took  the  sheets  from  his  bed  and  had  them 
wrapped  around  the  dead  bodies.  We  could  see  Indians  in  the  sand 
hills,  south  of  the  river  watching  us  while  we  were  burying  them.  The 
Lieutenant  wrote  a  card,  addressed  "To  All  Travelers,"  telling  them 
to  keep  close  together;  that  he  buried  two  men  and  a  woman,  mur- 
dered by  Indians,  sending  some  of  his  men  to  a  junction  of  roads 
where  emigrants  and  gold  seekers  left  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  for  Pikes 
Peak,  with  instructions  to  place  it  where  all  travelers  could  see  it, 
signed  "Lieut.  Ellie  Long,  U.  S.  Cavalry."  We  returned  with  the  troops. 
One  of  the  troopers  took  the  little  dog  along  in  front  of  him  on  the 
saddle,  but  the  little  fellow  broke  away  from  his  captor  the  first  camp 
we  came  to,  and  could  not  be  captured,  he  ran  back  twenty  miles.  We 
found  him  dead  under  the  bank  of  the  river,  six  weeks  afterwards,  fifty 
yards  from  his  master's  grave.  We  remained  with  the  military  escort 
until  we  met  an  ox  train  loaded  with  aupi)lies  for  Fort  Union,  returning 
and  remaining  with  the  ox  train  until  we  got  out  of  danger.  Then, 
leaving  the  trail,  we  made  what  lost  time  we  could  and  delivered  the  mail 
at  Santa  Fe.  On  our  return  trip,  coming  East,  we  traveled  from  Fort 
Union  with  Captain  McComb.  who  had  a  company  of  U.  S.  Infantry, 
for  the  purpose  of  making  thp  boundary  line  between  Colorado  and 
Kansas.  Our  fifth  day  with  the  military  escort,  two  ox  wagons  be- 
longing to  Major  Russell  came  along,  in  charge  of  Dick  Berry, 
bringing  teamsters  back  to  Missouri,  that  worked  for  the  Company  all 
summer.  Believing  that  we  could  deliver  the  mail  at  Independence 
eight  days  sooner,  by  traveling  with  the  ox  wagons,  we  left  the  military 


escort  and  went  with  them.  Traveling  all  day  without  seeing  Indians, 
we  thought  we  were  out  of  their  range,  but  our  hopes  were  of  short 
duration.  Making  the  usual  night  drive,  they  attacked  us,  firing  several 
volleys  at  us.  but  did  not  hurt  anybody.  Arranging  the  wagons  the 
best  way  we  could,  tyirg  a  rope  aroui  d  the  horns  of  the  leaders  of  the 
ox  wagons  and  fastening  a  lariat  about  the  necks  of  the  mules.  Men 
walking  between  the  wagons  with  all  the  fire  arms  and  ammunition 
we  could  muster.  Two  men  holding  the  lariats  ready  when  attacked 
to  bring  the  animals  into  our  moving  fort  and  strengthen  our  lines. 
Mr.  Berry  threw  out  of  his  wagon  several  sacks  of  bacon  and  flour 
to  lighten  them  and  make  it  easer  on  his  teams.  He  also  turned  out 
a  yoke  of  cattle  that  was  not  ab'e  to  travel  with  the  others.  After  trav 
eling  four  or  five  mi!es  and  Indians  not  making  a  second  attack,  the 
ma'.l  conductor  and  wagon  master  started  on  mule  back  to  reach  Capt. 
McComb,  before  he  would  leave  camp  in  the  morning.  Following  the 
wagon  tracks  of  his  escort,  they  found  him  six  or  seven  miles  off  the 
regular  mail  route.  Informing  him  that  we  were  attacked  by  Indians. 
He  called  on  his  command  for  volunteers,  who  responded  readily,  mounV 
ing  wagon  mules,  using  gunnv  sacks  or  anything  that  would  serve  foi 
a  saddle.  Our  animals,  traveling  day  and  night,  were  about  given  out, 
and  no  signs  of  conductor  or  wagon  masters'  return.  We  concluded  to 
rest  them  and  camped  at  a  point  we  caHed  "The  Red  Holes,."  The 
ground,  being  elevated,  gave  us  an  unobstructed  view  of  valley  to 
the  west.  We  were  camj)ed  but  a  short  time,  when  we  saw  objects 
that  we  thought  were  Indians,  but  they  were  so  far  off  that  we  could 
not  tell  what  they  were,  and  decided  to  secure  our  stock,  getting  them 
between  the  wagons  and  tying  our  mules  with  their  lariats.  The  closei 
we  got  to  the  supposed  Indians,  the  more  glad  we  were  to  see  it  was 
the  troops,  with  conductor  and  wagon  master,  to  bring  us  to  Capt.  Mc- 
Comb's  camp.  Mr.  Kelly's  p'stol  dropped  out  of  its  scabbard  when  he 
and  Herry  .started  in  the  night  to  find  Capt.  McComb,  and  he  con- 
cluded to  try  ard  find  it,  Mr.  Berry  going  along  with  him  over  the  road 
they  traveled  in  the  night.  He  found  the  pisto\  returning  to  overtak<* 
us  before  we  would  reach  camp,  they  uere  suprised  to  see  a  large 
force  of  those  savages  following  us.  Whi])ping  and  si)urring  their  mules 
reaching  camp  only  by  the  skin  of  their  teeth,  as  they  were  pursued 
to  within  a  rifle's  shot  of  Capt.  McComb's  camp.  I  believe  they  would 
have  overtaken  us  sooner  OT^ly  they  were  looking  for  a  secure  hiding 
place  to  dei)osit  the  bacon  and  flour  that  Mr.  Berry  had  thrown  out  of 
has  wagon,  from  the  wolve  sand  coyotes  so  numerous  on  the  plains  in 
those  days.  We  remained  with  Capt.  McComb  until  he  completed  the 
boundary  line.  I  went  from  camp  with  the  troops  that  were  going  to 
finish  the  work;  I  was  looking  at  them  when  they  nut  a  round  bar  of  iron 
in  the  center  of  a  mound,  built  of  rock,  to  establish  the  Tne.  I  believe 
I  could  go  to  the  latter  point  todav,  if  it  were  necessary.  After  finishing 
the  work,  the  Captain  headed  for  Missouri;  we  remained  with  him 
until  we  got  to  the  settlement,  the  oxen  traveling  right  along  with  the 
mules.  Thanking  h'.m  for  his  kindness  and  protection,  we  started  to 
gain  as  much  lost  time  as  we  could  to  deliver  the  mail  at  Independence. 
November,  1859,  Col.  Hall,  one  of  the  mail  contractors,  instructed 
me  to  take  all  the  public  documents  at  Council  Grove  and  Pawnee 
Fork  and  deliver  them  at  Santa  Fe.  If  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort 
Larned  would  not  furnish  an  escort,  deposit  the  mail  at  the  Post  Office, 


get  a  receipt  for  it  and  return  to  Independence.  When  I  applied  to 
Capt.  David  Bell,  the  commander,  informing  him  of  the  instructions 
given  me  by  the  mail  company,  he  told  me  he  could  not  furnish  an 
escort;  that  I  would  meet  one  at  the  Cimarone  Crossing  of  the  Ar- 
kansas River;  they  would  return  with  me  to  Fort  Union.  I  asked  him 
for  a  letter  to  the  officer  in  command,  but  he  declined,  saying  it  was 
not  necessary.  My  outfit  consisted  of  eight  assistant,  three  loaded 
wagons,  six  mules,  hitched  to  each  wagon,  and  six  or  seven  extras  for 
emergencies.  I  had  seventy-five  miles  to  travel  before  I  could  find  out 
if  my  doubts  were  well  founded  about  the  escort  returning  with  me  to 
Fort  Union.  1  met  the  troops  camped  at  the  point  Captain  Bell  told 
me.  Informing  the  officer  in  command  that  Captain  Bell  told  me  he 
would  return  with  me  to  Fort  Union,  the  gentleman  informed  me  that 
his  rations  were  almost  exhausted,  his  horses  bare-footed  and  he  could 
not  return  with  me.  It  was  three  hundred  miles  to  Fort  Union,  without 
a  Post  Office  or  habitation,  through  a  savage  territory,  regular  range 
for  Kiowa  and  Comanche  Indians,  then  at  war  with  the  government.  I 
concluded  it  was  too  dangerous  with  the  small  force  1  had,  to  proceed 
further.  Traveling  back  to  the  junction  of  roads,  to  go  by  way  of 
Ratone,  fifty  miles  further  than  the  regular  mail  route,  and  believing 
I  could  deliver  the  mail  at  Santa  Fe  on  schedule  time.  We  started  on 
the  new  route,  although  none  of  us  were  ever  over  the  road  before 
Going  by  way  of  Pleasant  Encampment,  Sand  Creek,  Bent's  New  Fort, 
fording  the  Arkansas  River  at  Bents  Old  Fort,  thirty-five  miles  further 
west,  continuing  the  route  by  Iron  Springs,  fording  Picket  Wire  at  Trin- 
idad, over  the  Ratone  Mountains,  Maxwell's  Ranch,  Reowal  Calhoun's 
Ranch,  reaching  the  Santa  Fe  trail  regular  mail  route  six  miles  north  of 
Fort  Union,  Stealing  a  march  on  the  hostile  Kiowas,  meeting  only  a 
oma  1  band  of  friendly  Che.ennes.  They  seemed  well  pleased  when  1 
gave  them  a  little  sugar  and  colfee.  Arriving  at  Fort  Union  on  time, 
leaving  all  my  helpers  but  two  to  have  everything  ready  when  I  re- 
turned from  Santa  Fe  with  the  Eastern  mail.  Reaching  my  destina- 
tion on  schedule  time,  with  the  first  mail  to  cross  the  Ratone  Moun- 
tains, ffteen  months  before  the  service  was  changed  from  the  Santa  Fe 
Trail  to  supply  Fort  Wise,  which  was  reported  February  22d,  1861.  On 
my  return  trip  with  the  Eastern  mail,  I  traveled  with  an  escort  in 
charge  of  Sergeant  Speed,  who  was  bringing  the  remains  of  Col.  May, 
an  army  officer  who  died  at  Fort  Union,  to  be  forwarded  to  Baltimore, 
Maryland,  for  interment.  He  did  not  have  a  full  company;  asked  me 
to  have  my  men  stand  guard:  I  told  him  they  would,  and  that  I  would 
stard  guard  myself  when  called  on.  I  was  sitting  by  the  camp  fire  our 
first  night  out  from  Fort  Union,  when  the  Sergeant  accosted  one  of  his 
own  teamsters,  Jones.  "I  heard  that  you  said  you  would  not  stand  guard, 
it  may  be  if  you  don't  I  will  make  a  spread  eagle  out  of  you."  We  had  a 
deep  snow  all  the  way  from  Fort  Union  to  Missouri,  but  no  spread  eagles. 
I  remained  with  the  military  escort  until  I  came  to  the  stations  where 
the  company  kept  relays  of  fresh  animals.  Bidding  good-bye  to  Ser- 
ge art  Speed  and  thanking  him  for  his  protection  and  courtesy,  I  started 
for  my  destination,  visiting  all  Post  Offices  on  the  route,  arriving  at 
Independence  on  schedule  time,  to  Santa  Fe  and  return. 


WHITTIER    STATE    SCHOOL, 

WHITTIER,   CAL. 

J.  P.  Greenly,  Superintendent,  H.  N.  Coffin,  M.  D. 

Whittier,  Cal.,  Sept.  22,  1905. 

James   Brice,   Esq., 

Kansas  City,  Mo. 

My  Dear  Old  Comrade:  Your  letter  of  the  16th  received,  and  I  am 
glad  to  hear  from  you.  My  nephew,  E.  J.  Peck,  of  Larphop,  Mo.,  had 
written  to  me  that  he  came  across  you  in  Kansas  City  and  had  a  talk 
with  you.  You  do  not  seem  to  remember  me,  but  it  is  not  strange  that 
you  would  fail  to  remember  all  the  soldiers  you  met  on  the  plains,  wher 
jou  came  in  contact  with  so  many  different  ones;  while  I  would  natur- 
ally recollect  nearly  all  of  the  old  mail  hands,  for  there  were  not  so 
many  of  them.  You  are  mistaken  about  the  year  when  Lieut.  Long's 
party  buried  that  emigrant  family;  it  was  in  September  or  October, 
'59,  instead  of  '58.  The  Kiowa  outbreak  began  with  the  killing  of  old 
Pawnee,  one  of  their  chiefs,  by  Lieut.  George  D.  Baird,  in  the  latter 
part  of  September,  '59.  I  was  right  alongside  of  Baird  when  he  shot 
the  Indian,  about  a  mile  north  of  Peacock's  Ranch.  Our  commander, 
Maj.  Sedwick,  had  started  into  Fort  Riley  after  being  out  along  the 
Arkansas  River  all  summer;  aftar  Pawnee  was  killed,  we  went  on  into 
Riley,  but  the  Kiowas  had  gone  on  the  war  path  and  the  company  I  be- 
longed to  (K)  Capt.  Geo.  H.  Stewart's,  was  sent  back  to  Pawnee  Fork, 
where  we  built  sod  houses  to  live  in  and  escort  mails  all  that  winter. 
Before  going  into  Fort  Riley,  just  after  Baird  killed  old  Pawnee,  on 
the  same  afternoon,  while  we  were  camped  near  Peacock's  Ranch,  a  mail 
wagon  from  Independence  came  along;  the  conductor  was  named 
Smith,  his  brother  was  one  of  the  drivers  and  Bill  Cole  was  the  other. 
Maj.  Sedwick  detailed  Lieut.  Otis  and  ten  men  from  each  of  the  loux- 
companies,  making  forty  men  to  escort  the  mail  through  what  was 
considered  the  dangerous  ground,  from  Walnut  Creek  to  Pawnee  Fork. 
I  was  one  of  that  escort;  you  know  how  that  resulted  in  the  murder  of 
the  two  Smiths  and  narrow  escape  of  Bill  Cole.  I  was  with  you  on 
two  or  three  trips  I  think  that  winter,  but  remember  none  more  partic- 
ularly than  one  trip  in  mid-winter,  that  we  took  you  clear  through  to 
Fort  Union,  it  was  terribly  cold  weather  the  whole  trip  through  and 
back.  Coming  back  we  had  two  or  three  feet  of  snow  all  the  way 
Going  out  we  were  attacked  by  the  Indians  one  night  while  camped  on 
a  little  branch  of  Red  River.  You  will  certainly  remember  that  night. 
Corporal  Newman  had  charge  of  the  party  of  twenty  soldiers  and  I  was 
Lance  Corporal.  Vr.^  ought  to  remember  one  of  my  chums.  Bill  Crowly, 
for  he  was  always  teasing  and  joshing  you  on  that  trip.  Bill  is  still 
living  and  I  get  letters  from  him  occasionally.  The  drivers  you  had  that 
trip  were  Pat  Murray  and  John  Steel.  Among  the  old  hands  on  the 
road  at  that  time,  I  remember  Dave  McKinstry,  Frank  Cole  (a  brother 
of  Bill's),  Henry  Lovell,  Bob  Carson  and  others.  After  the  killing  of 
the  Smiths,  our  command  being  under  order  for  Fort  Riley,  went  on  in, 
but  Maj.  Sedgwick  left  Lieut.  Long  and  forty  men  at  the  Big  Bend  to 
escort  the  mail  until  he  got  orders  at  Riley  to  send  "K"  company  back 


to  the  Arkansas  to  winter.  It  was  while  on  this  duty  that  Long's  party 
found  and  buried  the  murdered  family  you  speak  of,  my  chum  Bill 
Crowly  was  one  of  that  party,  but  I  was  not;  I  had  gone  to  Fort  Riley. 
When  we  came  back  to  Pawnee  Fork  to  establish  our  winter  quarters, 
it  was  about  the  Ist  of  November.  The  mail  contractors  (Hall  «&  Por- 
ter) sent  out  some  men  and  an  outfit  to  build  a  station  at  Pawnee  Fork; 
a  man  named  Butts  had  charge  of  the  job,  but  as  soon  as  the  mall  sta- 
tion was  established.  Butts  went  back  to  Independence  and  one  Stark 
came  out  to  take  charge  of  the  mail  station.  Stark  got  into  trouble 
by  selling  whiskev  to  the  soldiers  and  he  was  recalled  by  Hall  &  Porter, 
and  then  Butts  came  on  again  and  remained  in  charge  of  the  station 
until  we  left  there  in  the  spring  of  '60,  to  go  on  the  Kiowa  expedition. 
Our  commanding  officer  was  Lieut.  David  Bell.  During  that  winter  Bell 
and  Butts  built  a  bridge  over  Pawnee  Fork,  but  I  don't  think  they  ever 
got  their  money  out  of  it.  Bell  died  that  summer,  while  on  sick  fur- 
lough, at  old  Point  Comfort,  Virginia.  In  the  fall  of  '60,  after  the 
Kiowa  expedition,  we,  Sedwicks  command,  were  ordered  up  to  Bents 
Fort  to  build  Fort  Wise,  afterwards  called  Fort  Lvon.  where  I  put  in  the 
balance  of  five  years  and  never  got  to  go  back  to  Fort  Larned  but  once, 
that  was  in  the  latter  part  of  the  winter,  about  February,  '61,  when 
there  was  a  big  snow  on.  Larned  was  then  garrisoned  by  two  com- 
panies of  second  infantry  with  Capt.  Julias  Hayden  in  command.  Weils- 
selbum  was  settled  in  1901.  I  wrote  up  and  published  in  the  National 
Tribune  of  Washington,  D.  C,  the  narrative  of  my  five  years  in  the 
army,  detailing  all  about  that  winter  escortirg  the  mails.  My  story 
was  published  imder  the  title,  "Rough  Riding  on  the  Plains."  I  expect 
you  would  be  interested  in  that  part  of  it,  at  least  you  might  write  to 
the  National  Tribune  and  ask  if  they  can  furnish  you  the  back  num- 
ber containing  my  story.  I  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  again;  with 
best  wishes  for  your  health  and  prosperity,  I  remain  your  o'd  comrade, 

ROBERT   MORRIS   PECK. 

Lock  box  50,  Whittier,  Cal. 

In  1860  Messrs.  Hall  &  Porter  sold  their  unexpired  term  of  the 
Santa  Fe  mail  contract  to  the  Missouri  Stage  Company,  known  after- 
wards as  Slemmons,  Roberts  &  Co.  The  late  Mr.  Preston  Roberts,  of 
Independence,  Missouri,  was  manager  and  employed  me  to  take  charge 
of  their  supply  station  at  Pawnee  Fork,  where  they  kept  a  large  num- 
ber of  mules  and  other  necessities  for  their  employes,  instructing  me 
to  give  no  stage  passes  or  be  dictated  to  by  anybody.  The  new  man- 
ager made  a  good  many  changes  on  the  line,  doing  away  with  the  heavy 
covered  lumber  wagons,  replacing  them  with  thorough  brace  Concord 
Hacks.  Establishing  new  stations  to  keep  relays  of  animals  to  expedite 
the  delivery  of  the  service.  I  was  only  a  few  days  in  my  new  position, 
when  the  commanding  officer  at  Fort  Larned  brought  a  woman  to  the 
mail  station,  whom  a  wagon  master  got  from  Comanche  Indians,  on  the 
Santa  Fe  Trail  for  some  flour;  requesting  me  to  send  her  to  Kansas 
City.  I  told  him  I  would  send  her  l)y  the  first  mail  going  East.  My 
wife  took  charge  of  her.  He  sent  the  Post  physician  to  see  her;  she 
begged  that  gentleman,  for  God's  sake  not  to  talk  to  her!  The  doctor 
told  me  she  was  out  of  her  mind  and  I  agreed  with  him.  My  wife  did 
everything  she  could   to   induce  her  to   go  to  bed,  thinking  she  might 


sleep  and  we  would  learn  more  of  her  history  and  how  she  got  Into  the 
hands  of  the  Indians,  but  all  her  pleadings  and  efforts  could  not  induce 
her  to  retire.  She  sat  by  the  stove  all  night.  I  secreted  myself  and 
watched  her,  for  fear  she  would  run  off  or  do  herself  bodily  harm.  The 
Eastern  mail  arrived  on  time  and  I  gave  her  in  charge  to  the  con- 
ductor; I  never  heard  anything  more  about  her  or  where  she  belonged. 
Fort  Larned  was  then  garrisoned  by  two  companies,  second  U.  S.  In- 
fantry, Capt.  Julias  Hayden  in  command,  a  strict  disciplinarian.  He  kept 
a  sentinel  from  his  headquarters  to  the  mail  station,  advising  me  if 
Indians  wanted  to  see  him,  to  bring  them  to  his  ofRce.  A  few  days 
after  the  captain  had  been  talking  with  me,  I  brought  an  Indian  through 
the  lines,  who  wanted  to  see  the  commander.  When  we  reached  the 
captain's  office,  he  called  for  his  interpreter  to  ask  the  Indian  what  he 
wanted.  The  Indian  repied,  "My  father  sent  me  to  know  why  you  wane 
us  to  move  camp  for?"  "Tell  him  the  military  reservation  is  ten  miles 
square  and  we  want  the  grass  close  to  the  Post  for  our  wn  hrses,  mules 
and  beef  cattle."  The  interpreter  told  the  Ir.dian,  who  replied  that  he 
would  tell  the  old  man  when  he  would  reach  home  (meaning  his  father). 
The  reply  did  not  suit  the  captain.  "Tell  him  I  am  chief  of  these 
guns,"  pointing  to  several  cannon  on  the  parade  ground.  The  Indian 
replied,  "I  see  his  guns,  they  make  a  big  noise,  but  don't  do  much  harm." 
'Tell  him  if  he  don't  move  before  the  sun  goes  down,  I  will  move  him." 
The  Indians  mved  immediately  when  they  heard  what  the  commander 
said.  Pawnee  Fork  was  the  regular  camping  ground  for  Kiowas,  Chey- 
ennes  and  Arapahoes  before  Fort  Larned  was  established,  and  they 
wanted  to  continue  their  forn?er  practice;  they  would  come  to  the  mail 
Station  at  all  hours.  Santanta,  a  Kiowa  leader  of  young  desperadoes 
on  the  frntier  days  as  dog  soldiers,  and  more  feared  than  loved  by  his 
pale  faced  brethren,  came  along  about  midnight  with  eighteen  or  twenty 
of  his  band.  He  would  knock  on  the  door;  I  would  get  up  out  of  bed,  not 
knowing  who  was  knocking;  opening  the  door  to  see,  I  was  facing 
those  Indians  mounted  in  single  file  like  cavalry  soMiers  wa'ting  or- 
ders from  commander,  wanting  to  stop  with  me  an^  get  a  pass  on  the 
stage  to  Council  Grove,  200  miles,  where  he  and  his  men  were  going 
to  see  the  Comanche  Indians.  I  would  tell  him  that  the  commanding 
officer  gave  me  orders  to  inform  him  when  Indians  came  to  the  mail 
station,  and  that  he  would  have  to  go  and  see  him.  After  telling  my 
wife  to  bolt  the  doors,  we  would  start  for  headquarters.  Santanta  was 
a  large  man  and  would  crouch  behind  me  for  protection  from  stray 
bullets  if  any  should  come  our  way.  he  preferred  them  to  reach  me 
first.  When  we  reached  the  sentinel,  he  asked:  Who  comes  there?'  and 
I  answered,  Brice,  from  the  mail  station,  with  Santanta  to  see  the 
commanding  oflftcer.  Halt!  he  would  call  the  sergeant  of  the  guard;  af- 
ter all  the  preliminaries,  we  would  be  told  to  advance.  The  sergeant 
would  wake  up  the  commander  from  his  bed,  telling  him  Santanta 
with  eighteen  or  twenty  of  his  band  wanted  to  stop  aU  night;  he  wouM 
direct  the  sergeant  to  let  the  men  sleep  in  the  guard  house  and  turn 
their  ponies  into  the  corral.  Santanta  would  decline  the  invitation  and 
return  with  me.  While  we  were  seeing  the  captain  the  Indians  wa'ting 
our  return,  tied  their  ponies  in  a  ravine  close  to  the  mail  station.  Sitting 
around  a  camp  fire,  I  would  bring  them  bread  and  all  the  cooked  victuals 
1  could  find,  remaining  with  them  vnfl  their  camp  fires  went  out  and 
that   there   was  no  danger   of  burning   the   mail   companies    hay   stacks. 


They  would  tell  me  how  badly  they  were  treated  by  the  white  people 
killing  their  buffaloes  and  taking  their  hunting  grounds;  I  would  tell 
them  that  th?  Big  Chief  made  all  the  laws  and  everybody  had  to  comply 
with  them.  I  would  pass  Santanta  in  the  stage  to  Council  Grove  and 
put  his  name  on  the  way  bill  with  initials  of  my  name  opposite.  He 
carried  a  bugle  when  he  got  on  the  seat  beside  the  driver,  he  would  make 
as  good  a  call  as  any  post  musician,  his  men  would  come  on  a  double 
quick,  taking  their  p'aces  each  side  of  the  mail  coach  like  a  military 
escort.  The  herder  brought  one  of  the  mules  in  off  the  pasture  that  was 
bitten  by  a  rattlesnake.  His  head  was  twice  its  natural  size.  I  brought 
a  Cheyenne  Indian  to  see  the  animal,  who  had  me  to  throw  him  down 
and  secure  him  from  struggling.  He  took  my  pen  knife,  sharpened  the 
point  of  the  small  blade,  tied  a  cord  around  it.  leaving  one-fourth  inch 
uncovered,  pricking  the  mule  around  the  nostrils  with  the  uncovered 
point,  blood  coming  from  each  stab;  rubbing  the  bloody  part  with  gun- 
powder and  telling  me  to  keep  him  from  water  until  the  next  morning. 
I  complied  with  his  instructions  and  the  mule  was  a'l  right  next  morn- 
ing, I  had  a  brood  of  chickens  about  a  week  old.  He  asked  me  to  give 
him  a  pair.  I  could  not  see  what  he  wanted  with  them,  as  those  blanket 
Indians  were  alwavs  on  the  move.  Striking  his  limbs  with  both  hands, 
imitating  a  rooster  flapping  his  wings  to  crow,  telling  me  in  Spanish  he 
wanted  to  know  when  it  was  near  daylight.  I  told  him  it  would  be  four 
weeks  before  they  could  be  taken  from  their  mother.  He  came  one  time 
I  was  absent  and  my  wile  gav3  him  the  chickens.  I  met  him  about  sun- 
down eight  miles  frm  the  mail  etation.  He  had  one  on  each  side  of  the 
saddle,  pointing  cut  to  me  the  rooster  from  the  pullet. 

February,  18C1,  th-^  Santa  Pe  mail  service  was  changed  from  the 
Cimarone  route  by  way  of  Ratone  to  supply  Fort  Lyon.  The  mail  com- 
pany ran  two  stages  from  Pawree  Fork  to  Fort  Lyon,  250  miles.  It 
took  five  days  to  make  the  trip  each  way.  There  were  no  stations  be- 
tween thos3  points.  Passengers  were  provided  with  the  same  accommo- 
dations they  had  on  the  Cimarone  route  Messrs.  Slemmons,  Roberts 
&  Companys  contract  expired  in  nine  months  after  they  commenced  the 
service,  and  at  the  regular  mail  letting  the  contract  was  awarded  to 
Messrs.  Cottrell,  Vickroy  &  Company.  The  late  Mr.  H.  M.  Vail,  of  In- 
dependsnce,  Misouri,  was  one  of  the  company,  but  they  did  not  keep  the 
contract  long  until  they  soM  out  to  Messrs.  BoUaw  &  Sanderson,  gentle- 
men of  large  means.  Mr.  Ballow  lived  at  St.  Albans,  Vermont.  Mr. 
Sanderson  lived  at  Kansas  City,  Mssouri;  was  manager  and  an  expert 
running  a  stage  line,  equipping  the  new  enterprise  with  new  thorough 
Brace  Concord  coaches  ard  the  best  animals  money  could  purchase,  ex- 
pediting the  service  from  tri-weekly  to  daily  and  holding  the  line  against 
a  competition  until  it  became  railroad  service. 

In  the  winter  of  1863  the  Eastern  mail  got  snow-bound  about  eight 
miles  west  of  where  Uodg^  City  is  now  located.  One  of  the  mules  froze 
to  death,  after  being  unhitched  from  the  wagon.  Ore  of  the  drivers 
started  on  mu'e  back  to  inform  me  of  the  situation.  He  got  only  four 
or  five  miles  until  his  mule  gave  out,  lying  down  in  the  road,  and  he  had 
to  leave  him.  Seeing  the  light  of  a  camp  fire,  he  crossed  the  Arkansas 
river  on  the  ice.  reaching  an  Indian  camp  with  hands  and  feet  frozen. 
The  Indians  had  to  cut  his  boots  before  they  could  get  them  off,  wrap- 
ping  his    feet    with   a   buffalo    robe,   but   could    not   remove    the    gloves. 


The  Indians  brought  him  and  the  mule  to  the  mall  station.  There  were 
two  army  oflacers,  passengers  on  the  stage,  sent  a  letter  to  the  com- 
manding officer  at  Fort  Larned,  who  sent  fuel  to  assist  the  men  I  sent 
to  bring  passengers  and  nail  to  the  post.  One  of  the  stages  was  left 
where  it  was  snow  bound  and  d  sappaared  before  I  could  send  after  it. 
It  took  several  months  before  I  could  find  out  what  band  of  Indians  had 
taken  it.  I  finally  located  it  in  Pawnee  Creek,  sixty  miles  from  Fort 
Larned.  I  sent  two  men  with  a  team  to  bring  it  home.  They  had  no 
trouble  in  finding  it.  The  squaws  arranged  harness  to  suit  themselves, 
made  of  strips  of  buffalo  robe,  using  the  vehicle  to  carry  their  "pap- 
pooses  '  over  the  prairie  when  they  would  be  moving  to  their  different 
camps. 

When  the  regulars  were  relieved  at  Fort  Larned  it  was  garrisoned 
with  volunteers.  Col.  Leavenworth  was  commanding  officer.  Indians 
took  more  liberties  than  they  had  under  the  former  commander  and 
wou'd  prowl  around  the  post  at  all  hours.  A  good  while  a^ter  taps  a 
horseman  riding  to  wards  the  post  was  challengetl  by  th?  sentinel.  Get- 
ting no  reply,  he  shot  at  the  intruder,  alarm; ng  the  garrison  by  the 
discharge  of  firearms  at  such  an  unusual  hour.  Offic^^rs  hastening  .to 
find  out  what  was  the  matter  found  a  dead  Indian  The  sentinel  did 
not  know  who  the  horseman  might  be  and  was  carrying  out  his  instruc 
tions.  The  Indians  were  notified  and  came  to  identify  the  body  and  the 
band  he  belonged  to.  The  commanding  officer  gave  orders  to  bury  the 
Indian  and  put  a  paling  arourd  h  s  grave.  The  order  was  carr'ed  out. 
I  could  see  the  paling  around  the  grave  while  I  remained  at  Pawnee 
Fork.  A  few  months  after  the  Indian  was  shot  by  the  sentin-^l,  two  fine 
horses,  the  private  property  of  a  commissary  sergeant  of  the  Second 
Colorado  troops,  broke  a  way  from  the  man  who  was  watering  them  and 
running  north  crossed  the  bridge  over  Pawnee  creek  a  mile  from  the 
post.  The  owner  offered  a  reward  to  have  them  caught  and  brought 
back.  Two  mounted  soldiers  fo; lowed  them  and  crossing  the  bridge 
were  cut  off  from  the  i)ost  by  Indians,  who  murdered  them  and  muti- 
lated their  bodies  in  such  a  savage  manner  that  they  had  to  be  carried 
to  the  post  in  gunny  sacks.  The  poor  fellows  lost  their  lives  and  were 
cut  to  pieces  trying  to  catch  the  horses  and  bring  them  back  to  their 
owner,  Indians  capturing  the  four  horses  after  committing  the  brutal 
deed.  General  Sacket,  U.  S.  Army,  was  a  passenger  on  the  coach  en 
route  for  New  Mexico  a  few  da;  s  after  these  murders  were  committed. 
I  was  telling  him  how  bold  those  savages  were,  murdering  people  in 
sight  of  the  command  ng  officer's  headquarters.  I  told  the  general  I 
was  going  to  see  the  commander,  to  know  when  the  troops  would  be 
ready  to  escort  the  mail  to  Fort  Lyon,  suggesting  to  him  if  he  seen  the 
gentleman  he  might  give  him  a  larger  force  than  he  would  give  me. 
He  replied:  "Get  your  escort;  I  can  go  with  any  escort."  Remarking 
at  the  same  time  that  General  Custer  was  the  man  to  get  after  those 
Indians.  About  twelve  or  thirteen  years  after  theso  remarks  were  made 
by  General  Sacket,  General  Custer  with  261  men  of  the  Seventh  Cavilrv 
were  murdered  by  Indians  in  the  R'ack  H  lis  region  on  the  Lfttle  Horn 
river,  and  52  were  wonnded.  The  Indians  never  forgave  Mr.  Peacock 
for  calling  on  General  Sedgwick's  command  that  killed  Pawnee,  one  of 
their  band,  in  1859,  retaining  their  savage  animosty  by  plottin-^;  to  mur- 
der him  and  his  men.  In  less  than  twelve  nonths  after  the  shooting 
of  the  Indian  by  Lieut.  Baird,  three  of  those  bloodthirsty  savages  came 


to  the  ranch  and  told  the  men  that  troops  were  coming  from  Port 
Larned.  There  were  none  coming;  it  was  a  pre-arranged  plot  to  mur- 
der Mr.  Peacock  and  his  men  when  they  would  be  looking  for  the  com- 
ing troops.  Mr.  Peacock  and  two.  of  his  men  went  up  on  the  flat  roof 
of  the  house  to  see  if  there  was  a  large  force  coming,  the  Indians  going 
with  them.  The  moment  the  ranchmen  looked  for  the  troops  thay  were 
shot  in  the  back.  One  of  the  men  made  his  way  off  the  roof  and  fell 
dead  in  the  room  where  Simon  Ebey,  one  of  the  stage  drivers,  was  .s  ck 
in  bed  for  two  weeks.  He  saw  the  Indians  taking  everything  they  could 
carry  off  without  moving  a  muscle  until  the  darkness  of  the  night  cov- 
ered his  movements;  making  his  way  to  Fort  Larned,  35  mi^es,  and  in- 
forming the  commanding  officer  of  the  murders  committed  by  those 
blood  thirsty  demons.  The  commander  immediately  sent  soldiers  to  the 
ranch  to  bury  the  dead  bodies  and  protect  the  ])roperty  until  it  ws 
taken  charge  of  by  the  proper  parties.  The  sick  man  was  tal  en  into 
the  hospital,  where  he  remained  unfl  he  was  able  to  go  to  work.  The 
last  I  heard  of  him  he  was  living  at  Bumelo,  New  Mexico. 

July,  18C4,  Cheyennes.  Kiowas.  Arapahoes  and  some  Comanche  and 
Hickory  Apaches  were  camped  a  mile  north  of  Fort  Larned,  garrisoned 
with  Kansas  troops  and  a  section  of  a  Wisconsin  battery  in  charge  of 
Lieut.  Croker,  and  Capt.  Reed  was  commanding  officer.  The  combined 
Indian  tribes  went  on  the  warpath,  commercing  at  Fort  Larned  and 
running  off  a  large  number  of  horses  and  the  beef  cattle  belonging  to 
the  post.  1  lost  twelve  head  of  young  cows,  my  private  property,  .  Tth 
$300,  that  was  taken  with  the  b^ef  herd.  I  gave  the  claim  to  Major 
Wynecoop,  Indian  Agent,  to  present  to  the  Indian  Bureau.  When  I 
made  inquiry  at  the  Indian  office  I  was  informed  that  there  was  no 
record  of  it  and  I  never  got  anything  for  my  cows.  Two  weeks  before 
the  Indians  commenced  their  depredations  I  was  afraid  of  th^ir  ti  /  ach- 
ery  and  warned  the  man  that  I  had  herdng  the  comnany's  mules,  when 
I  signaled  to  him  to  run  the  mules  to  the  corral  as  fast  as  h-^  possibly 
could.  He  was  on  the  lookout  and  complied  with  mv  instruction  s. 
When  I  got  the  mules  secured  I  applied  to  the  commanding  officer  for 
arms  and  ammunition  for  all  the  men  I  had  at  the  mail  station.  He 
gave  me  all  I  asked  for  and  invited  me  to  bring  my  familv  to  the  post, 
where  they  would  be  out  of  danger.  I  thanked  him  for  h's  knd  invita- 
tion and  told  him  I  had  a  sufficient  force  when  thev  were  armed  to 
protect  ourselves  and  the  property  in  my  charge  belonging  to  the  mail 
company.  When  I  got  the  guns  and  ammunition  I  started  on  a  double- 
quick  with  the  men  I  brought  with  me  to  carry  them.  When  we  came 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  tb^  mail  station  we  saw  two  Ind'ans  running 
the  two  soldiers  that  were  herding  the  beef  cattle,  until  they  came  to 
our  corral  twenty  yards  froni  our  dwelling  house.  Seeing  that  we  were 
prepared  to  resist  their  further  approach,  they  gave  up  the  chas^  and 
returned  to  their  villages,  acting  as  senti'e's' and  riding  back  and  for- 
ward in  front  of  them  until  all  the  tepees  were  taken  down,  then  they 
went  along  with  the  Indians  and  tepejs,  fleeing  from  danger  as  fast  as 
they  cou'd.  It  looked  as  if  thp  Indians  had  prearrnnged  for  a  general 
attack  along  the  line  of  the  Santa  Fe  Trail  for  150  miles  at  a'l  the 
points  at  the  same  time.  While  thev  were  depredating  at  Fort  Larned, 
a  train  loaded  with  flour  for  the  government  was  captured  about  the 
same  time  between  Gr^at  Rend  and  Allison's  Ranch,  on  Walnut  creek, 
known   then    as   Fort  Zara   and   garrisoned   with   trooi)8,   killing  aM   the 

17 


teamsters  and  taking  off  and  carrying  away  the  wagon  covers  and  cattle 
belonging  to  the  train  in  sight  of  a  government  post.'  The  Eastern  mail 
coach  came  along  a  short  time  after  these  murders  were  committed  and 
found  one  of  the  teamsters  scalped  and  left  for  dead.  The  mail  party 
put  the  teamster  on  the  baggage  in  the  front  boot  of  the  coach  and 
discovered  before  they  reached  Larned  that  there  was  life  in  what  they 
at  first  believed  to  be  a  corpse.  He  was  taken  into  the  hospital,  where 
he  remained  unfl  he  was  able  to  return  to  his  people  in  Missouri,  where 
he  fnarried  and  raised  a  family.  T  met  one  of  his  sons  a  short  time 
ago,  who  told  me  his  father  was  the  only  "iving  scalped  man  in  the 
United  States.  His  name  is  McGee,  and  he  has  several  children  living 
in  this  city.  I  have  heard  him  tell  how  the  Indians  would  put  their 
spears  between  his  toes  and  stab  him  to  see  if  he  wou'd  move,  in  order 
to  make  sure  he  was  d?ad  before  they  left  him.  The  wagon  train  thai 
the  Indiars  captured  was  hauled  to  Fort  Larned  and  the  flour  piied  in 
heaps  and  covered  with  tarpaulins  on  the  parade  ground.  The  heavy 
rams  wet  the  top  sacks,  caused  by  taking  off  the  wagon  covers.  The 
commardin?  officer  called  a  board  of  survey,  who  condemned  the  flour 
and  it  was  sold  at  pubFc  auction.  A  Fhort  time  after  the  sale  Col.  Fos 
ter.  from  the  Comn  issary  D?])artr»''ent  at  St.  I  ouis,  ca^^e  to  Fort  I.arned 
to  investigate  and  find  out  why  the  four  wa^v  not  assorted,  keeping  all 
that  was  good  and  selling  what  was  damaged.  He  stopped  at  the  mail 
station  three  or  four  days  while  he  was  examining  the  Commissary 
Departmrnt  at  Fort  Larned  and  invited  me  before  he  left,  if  T  should 
reach  St  Louis  during  the  time  he  was  stationed  there,  to  not  forget  to 
call  on  him  at  the  Southern  hotel.  That  was  forty-three  years  ago.  I 
trust  and  hope  he  is  stiM  enjoviiig  good  health  and  happiness. 

A  litt'e  Mexican  with  his  sauaw  and  papooses  was  camped  with  the 
band  of  Apache  Indians  that  had  their  villages  near  Fort  Larned,  his 
wife  being  one  of  that  tribe.  He  came  to  the  mail  station  every  day 
before  the  Indians  went  on  the  warpath.  He  told  me  he  was  stolen  from 
Chihuahua  when  he  was  a  baby.  His  name  was  Ta  Too.  He  looked  like 
all  Indians,  only  he  wore  a  pair  of  iP-made  canvass  pants  in  place  of  a 
breech  worn  by  all  blanket  Indians.  He  wouM  scrub,  sweep  and  wash 
disht's.  do'pg  everything  neatly  that  I  ^^ut  him  at.  When  the  Indians 
commenced  their  depredations  it  Larned  Ta  Too  was  at  the  ma'l  sta- 
tion and  could  not  reach  his  family.  Fearing  the  soldiers  on  his  wav  to 
the  viTage  would  take  him  for  one  of  the  Indians  and  kill  him,  I  told 
him  he  could  stop  with  me  until  he  found  a  Mexican  train  that  would 
take  care  of  h'm.  He  seemed  so  devoted  to  his  family  that  he  would 
get  up  in  the  night  and  walk  in  his  sleep,  raving  about  his  snuaw  and 
napooses.  The  heavy  rains  a^  d  melted  snow  off  the  mountains  caused 
Pawnee  creek  to  overflow  it^.  banks  at  the  point  where  the  mail  station 
was  locat'-d.  Ta  Too  told  me  if  he  cr-uld  get  across  the  creek  he  would 
find  his  family.  I  got  a  washtub  and  vt  what  bread  and  meat  in  it  he 
thoueht  would  keep  him  unfl  he  found  his  fan->ily.  I  tied  a  line  to  each 
hardle;  he  took  off  his  spare  garments,  putting  them  in  the  tub  with 
his  rations,  and  .jumped  into  the  creek,  swimmin?  to  drv  la^^d  safely. 
I  rollf^d  the  Mne  into  a  ball  and  thr'^w  it  across  the  creek.  He  cuug^t 
it  and  ru-led  over  the  tub  with  all  it  contained.  Plac'ng  the  line  in  the 
tub.  I  hauled  it  back  and  he  waved  his  hand  "Bve,  bye!"  I  thought  I 
was  through  with  Ta  Too,  but  I  was  mistaken  Five  or  six  days  after 
he  left  I  noticed  unusual  commotion  about  the  fort,  horsemen  riding  out 


to  meet  what  they  believed  to  be  an  Indian.  It  was  Ta  Too  returning 
without  finding  his  family.  He  told  the  soldiers  by  signs  and  Spanish 
that  he  was  coming  to  see  me.  The  commanding  officer  came  to  inquire 
of  me  about  the  supposed  Indian.  I  told  the  gentleman  I  would  like  he 
would  take  charge  of  him.  He  had  him  brought  to  the  post,  where  they 
put  him  to  chopping  wood.  On  my  way  to  the  settlers'  store  I  had  to 
pass  where  he  was  at  work  and  he  told  he  me  was  sick  and  not  able  to 
work.  I  informed  Dr.  Clark,  the  post  physician,  who  ordered  him  to 
tht  hospital,  where  he  was  only  a  few  days  when  a  Mexican  freight  r 
wai  admitted  to  have  one  of  his  limbs  amputated  and  he  was  put  to  wait 
on  1  im.  When  the  freighter  was  able  to  travel  ha  took  him  along  with 
him  ^n  his  ambulance.  Before  he  left  he  came  to  bid  mo  "bye,"  fort\- 
three  years  ago. 

Sitting  one  evening  in  front  of  the  mail  station,  a  poor'y  c'ad  and 
barefooted  man  came  along.  I  invited  him  to  take  a  seat  and  asked  him 
where  he  came  from.  He  replied,  "Denver."  "How  long  were  you  in 
Denver?"  "While  I  was  getting  a  drink  of  water;  I  ?^ot  in  one  end  of 
town  and  out  the  other."  "Where  are  you  going?"  Mister,  please  ask 
me  no  more  questions."  I  apologized  for  being  so  inquisitive  and  kept 
a  close  eye  on  the  stranger.  After  a  pause  of  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes, 
I  asked  him  if  he  would  like  to  have  something  to  eat.  He  'jaid  he 
would  and  that  he  was  very  hungry.  My  wife  prepared  some  food  for 
him  and  I  brought  him  into  the  dining  room  and  remained  with  him 
until  he  finished  his  meal.  A  lady  from  the  post  was  v'sit'ng  mv  wife 
and  told  me  If  she  knew  what  size  shoe  would  fit  him  she  would  send 
me  a  pair  to  give  him.  I  toM  her  the  size  and  she  sert  the  shoes.  I 
gave  them  to  him  and  he  examined  them  as  carefully  as  if  he  wai  buy- 
ing them  from  a  sho?maker  and  returned  them  to  me,  saying  that  he 
would  not  wear  shoes  with  a  double  sole.  These  were  new  shoes,  the 
same  as  those  worn  by  the  soldiers.  I  sent  them  back  to  the  ^ady  with 
his  objections.  Indians  were  not  friendly  in  those  davs.  I  told  him  I 
would  send  him  on  the  stage  to  the  settlements  fifte-^n  mles  north. 
One  stage  goes  the  Smoky  Hill  route  to  Leavenwo'th  and  the  oth-^r 
keeps  the  regular  mail  route  to  Kansas  City,  and  I  told  him  he  could 
ride  whichever  wav  he  wanted  to  go.  He  said  he  did  not  know  which 
way  he  would  take  until  he  came  to  the  junction  and  preferred  walk 
ing.  This  poor,  coatless.  barefooted  creature  had  traveled  from  Denver 
to  this  point,  a  distance  of  450  miles,  carrying  an  eiiptv  sa'-d  ne  box 
between  his  two  o'd  shirts  for  use  as  a  water  cu'\  and  throu^^h  an  un- 
settled territory.  His  only  chance  for  food  was  the  frei'2:ht3rs  or  emi- 
grants that  he  would  m^et,  and  it  might  be  several  days  be''ore  he 
would  get  anything  to  eat. 

Setank  and  Dehosin  were  the  leading  chiefs  of  the  Kiowa  Indians 
when  I  first  began  to  run  wth  the  Santa  Fe  mail.  The  former  was 
said  to  be  vicious  and  always  inclined  to  the  warnath.  D-^hosin  was 
said  to  be  the  opposite  ard  alwavs  advised  hi-.  n30',)le  against  s:oing  to 
war  with  the  government.  After  that  Santanta  became  a  power  in  his* 
tribe  and  had  a  bad  reputation.  Kicking  Bird  was  sad  to  be  a  good 
Indian  by  white  men  that  knew  him  ard  wou'd  some  d^v  become  influ- 
ential with  his  people  and  the  government.  I  knew  both  of  them  pe  - 
sona'ly.  Indian  annuities  in  those  davs  were  carried  by  freighters  with 
mule  or  ox  wagon  trains,  the  only  transportafon  obtainable.  When 
they  were  not  arriving  quick  enough  to  suit  some  of  the  young  despera- 

19 


does  they  would  talk  saucy.  When  told  if  they  made  any  trouble  the 
government  would  chastise  them,  they  would  reply  that  the  government 
had  all  it  could  attend  to  to  frighten  its  own  people,  referring  to  the 
Civil  War  at  that  time.  I  was  station  agent  at  Pawnea  Fork,  Kansas, 
for  six  years  for  contractors  who  had  the  carrying  of  the  United  States 
mails  fro  mKansas  City,  Missouri,  to  Santa  Fe,  New  Mexico,  regulating 
my  hours  of  ^ator  by  the  sound  of  the  bugle  at  Fort  Larned  from 
reville  to  taps.  Buffalo  were  so  numerous  in  the  summers  of  '62  and 
'63  that  the  commanding  officer  would  have  soldiers  with  blank  car- 
tridges detailed  to  drive  them  off  the  reservation  in  order  to  preserve 
the  grass  for  the  stock  belonging  to  the  post.  When  I  was  conductor 
running  with  the  mail  I  saw  three  coyotes  attack  a  lone  buffalo  on  the 
Arkansas,  opposite  old  Fort  Mann.  Oi^e  kept  jumping  at  his  head  as 
if  trying  to  catch  his  nose  and  two  kept  jumping  at  his  hamstrings 
until  they  severed  them.  Then  he  became  powerless,  falling  down,  and 
they  pounced  upon  his  body  and  began  to  devour  him.  Black  Kettle, 
chief  of  the  Cheyennes,  Min-iick.  M'^ar  Bonnet,  Stand  in  the  Water  and 
many  others  of  the  Cheyenne  tribe  w-^re  regular  visitors  at  the  mail 
station.  Little  Wolf,  Little  Raven,  chi'^f  of  the  Arapahoes;  Boka,  Gran- 
da.  Navy.  Knock  Knee,  Left  Hand — th^  latter  three  could  talk  English. 
I  knew  all  of  those  Indians  personallv.  They  believed  they  had  a  right 
to  some  consideration  on  account  of  the  mail  wagon  running  thij'ugh 
their  territory  and  they  came  msny  a  night  to  stop  at  the  mail  station, 
expecting  the  same  courtesy  as  a  guest  at  a  hotel.  In  the  early  part 
of  President  Lincoln's  first  adminstration  General  Sherman  was  treating 
with  the  Indians  at  Fort  Lamed,  between  the  post  and  the  mail  station. 
The  leaders  of  the  different  bands  and  their  souaws  would  assemble  and 
sit  on  the  ground  in  a  circle  three  deep,  facing  the  commissioner. 
Squaws  in  the  rear,  subs  next,  leading  chiefs  in  front.  The  speaker 
would  stand  up,  fasten  h:s  bufa'o  robe  around  his  body,  leaving  his  arms 
free,  addressing  the  general  through  h's  interpreter,  John  Smith,  and 
telling  him  his  people  wanted  their  goods  given  to  them  on  the  prairie, 
then  they  could  see  if  everything  was  taken  out  of  the  wagons.  When 
their  annuities  were  nut  in  the  store  rooms  the  doors  were  locked  and 
they  could  not  tell  if  they  got  all  the  goods  the  "Good  Father"  sent 
them.     Their  agency  was  then  located  at  Fort  Lyon,  Colorado. 

In  the  suTnmer  of  1868  an  ox  train  belonging  to  Pool  &  Owens  was 
attacked  by  Kiowa  and  Cheyenne  Indians  a  short  distance  from  Fort 
Lyon  on  the  Arkansas  river.  A  Mr.  Blynn  with  his  wife  and  baby  was 
traveling  as  passengers  with  the  train  ^n  route  for  Lawrence  or  Topeka, 
Kansas.  Indians  made  a  dash,  cutting  the  train  in  two,  taking  the  part 
that  Mrs.  Blynn  and  her  babv  were  in;  her  husband  being  in  the  part 
held  by  the  owners  of  the  train.  The  noor  man  was  said  to  be  almost 
crazy  about  the  fate  of  his  wife  and  baby  getting  into  the  hands  of 
those  blood-thirsty  demons  and  he  did  e^-eryth"ng  in  his  power  to  obtain 
troops  to  rescue  them,  but  h-;^  could  not  get  the  desired  force  and  they 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians  until  thev  werp  murdered  by  those 
savages  when  they  were  attacked  by  the  troops  of  G3neral  Sheridan  in 
his  winter  campaign  of  1868.'  The  baby  was  brained  against  a  tree  and 
the  n-'other  shot  through  the  forehead,  the  weapon  which  no  doubt 
brought  welcome  release  from  their  brutal  and  savage  treatment.  One 
of  the  soldiers  who  went  throueh  all  the  winter  campaign  with  General 
Sheridan's   command   told   me  that   he   killed   the   Indian  that  shot  Mrs. 


Blynn.  Michael  and  Lawrence  Smith,  brothers,  of  Independence,  Jack- 
son County,  Missouri,  employees  of  the  Santa  Fe  Mail  Co.,  were  mur- 
dered by  Kiowa  Indians  on  the  Santa  Fe  Trail,  in  October,  1859,  at 
Jones'  Point,  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast  of  where  Fort  Larned  was 
located,  and  are  buried  at  the  former  point.  Patrick  H.  Cahill,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  one  of  the  Santa  Fe  mail  drivers,  was  murdered  by  In- 
dians ten  miles  east  of  the  upper  Cimarone  Springs,  October  15,  1859, 
while  traveling  with  General  Fontero\ 's  command  en  route  for  Santa 
Fe,   New   Mexico,   and  is   buried   near  the   former  point. 


In  1868  I  entered  into  contract  with  Messrs.  Barlow  &  Sanderson, 
overland  mail  contractors,  to  cut,  cure,  bale  and  deliver  800  tons  of 
hay  at  three  of  their  mail  stations  fifty  miles  apart  in  the  then  territory 
of  Colorado.  I  was  at  great  expense  buying  hay  presses,  rope  for  bail- 
ing the  hay,  mowing  machines,  rakes,  and  all  other  utensils  necessary 
to  comply  with  my  obligations.  Pay:ng  freight  from  St.  Louis  on  the 
machinery  ar.d  railroad  tares  for  the  men  I  brought  from  Kansas  City 
to  carry  out  my  agreement.  Carrying  men  and  machinery  by  wagons 
from  the  terminus  of  the  railroad  to  the  hay  field,  150  miles.  Reaching 
Fort  Lyon,  I  informed  General  Penrose,  the  commanding  officer,  telling 
him  I  did  not  wish  to  intrude  on  the  government  reservation.  He  re- 
ferred me  to  Wajor  Quirk,  quartermaster,  who  designated  the  point 
where  I  could  commence  work,  twelve  miles  east  of  the  post.  September 
12th  Little  Raven's  band  of  Arapahces  made  a  raid  on  my  camp,  run- 
ning off  forty-five  head  o':  large  work  mules,  the  only  means  I  had  to 
deliver  560  tons  of  hay  which  was  ready  for  transportation,  to  complete 
my  contract,  which  was  240  tons  short  of  completion.  The  loss  of  the 
mules  caused  a  delay  of  two  and  one  half  months  before  I  could  find 
transportation,  incurring  a  d  rect  and  unavoidable  expense  of  $3,900  in 
wages  and  maintenance  of  the  men,  which  was  a  total  loss,  having  no 
work  for  them  to  do  on  account  of  the  loss  of  the  m.ules.  I  had  to  take 
care  of  tliem  until  I  could  find  transportation  to  send  them  to  their 
homea  and  families,  as  I  agreed  when  I  employed  them.  The  only  trans- 
portation I  could  procure  in  the  sparsely  S3ttled  country,  a  long  dis- 
tance from  railroads,  to  deliver  the  hay,  was  an  ox  train  at  a  cost  of 
$3,000,  caused  by  the  loss  of  the  mules.  The  hay  was  weighed  as  it 
was  delivered  and  showed  how  much  the  contract  was  short.  After 
General  Sheridan's  campaign  against  the  combined  Indian  forces — Kio- 
was,  Cheyennes  and  Arapahoes — they  were  put  on  a  reservation.  Septem- 
ber, 1869,  I  went  to  Camp  Sui)ply,  Indian  Territory,  and  informed  Mr.  Dar- 
lington, the  Indian  Agent,  of  the  depredation.  He  sent  to  the  reservation 
after  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  finding  out  what  band  committed  the 
deed.  They  came  to  his  office  and  he  had  his  chief  clerk  take  down  their 
statements  through  the  interpreter.  The  Indians  who  stole  and  run  off 
the  miiles  acknowledged  that  they  committed  the  depredation,  and  that 
they  were  all  good  mules  and  that  they  so:d  them  to  buy  provisions  to 
subsist  on.  Mr.  Darlington  brought  me,  his  clerk,  interpreter  and  the 
Indians  before  the  adjutant  of  the  post  and  had  all  the  facts  testified  to. 
The  mules  were  appra'sed  by  well  known  citizens  who  saw  them  and 
who  testified  that  they  could  not  be  replaced  at  where  they  were  stolen 
for  less  than  $250  per  head,  or  a  total  of  $11,250.  After  carefully  enum- 
erating   my    actual    losses,    I    made    out    my    account:      Mules,    $11,250; 

22 


wagon  train  for  delivering  the  hay,  $3,000;  wages  and  mainteance  of 
the  men.  $3,900;  total,  $18,150.  I  gave  the  account  to  Mr.  Charles  Ewing, 
Washington,  D.  C,  for  collection,  instructing  him  not  to  accept  less  than 
the  full  amount  of  my  account;  that  I  was  damaged  $5,000  over  the 
amount  of  my  account  for  loss  of  time  and  the  breaking  up  of  my  bus 
iness.  The  Honorable  Secretary  of  the  Interior  allowed  $9,000  on  July 
21st,  1870,  in  care  of  Mr.  Charles  Ewing,  for  mules  and  expenses.  That 
is  the  entry  on  the  books  at  the  Indian  bureau.  Mr.  Ewing  gave  me  a 
treasury  warrant  for  $6,000,  retaining  $3,000  for  his  services,  assuring 
me  that  it  was  only  partial  payment ;  that  he  gave  no  receipt  tor  the 
amount  he  received  and  saying  that  Congress  did  not  appropriate  a 
suflBcient  amount  to  pay  this  class  of  claims  in  full  and  he  had  to  take 
his  proportion.  When  I  applied  to  the  Indian  office  to  know  the  status 
of  my  claim.  I  was  informed  that  Mr.  Ewing  gave  no  receipt  for  any 
amount,  but  the  inference  was  the  $9,000  awarded  by  the  Honorable 
Secretary  of  the  Interior  was  in  full  for  the  claims.  I  did  not  charge 
the  Indians  with  attorney's  fees  or  prospective  earnings.  I  charged  only 
the  appraised  value  of  the  property  and  the  actual  money  expended, 
caused  directly  by  the  loss  of  the  mules.  The  acknowledgement  of  the 
Indians  with  my  account  is  on  file  at  the  Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs,  and 
win  show  that  the  Indians  lived  on  the  proceeds  of  the  sale  of  my  prop- 
erty almost  two  years,  while  I  was  deterred  from  business  on  account 
of  the  loss  of  the  mules.  The  case  was  presented  to  the  Court  of 
Claims  June  25th,  1891.  Copie>=?  of  the  opinion  of  the  Honorable  Judge, 
delivered  December  7th,  1896,  can  be  obtained  in  the  file  of  the  Court 
of  Claims.  My  friends  who  were  familiar  with  the  case  advised  me  to 
send  a  history  of  the  claims  to  the  Hon  F.  M.  Cockerel,  then  Senator. 
I  did  not  know  the  Senator,  bat  I  sent  him  a  history  of  the  case,  with 
affidavits  of  well  known  gentlenen — Hon.  Robt.  T.  VanHorn,  Hon.  John 
W.  Henry,  Hon  Jules  Edgar  Guinotte — vouching  to  my  reputation  for 
truth  and  veracity.  He  introduced  a  bill  for  my  relief  for  $5,250  Ds- 
cember  7th,  1899,  reducing  the  original  balance  $3,900,  and  advising  roe 
to  send  him  a  few  affidavits  of  persons  who  saw  the  mules.  I  sent  him 
affidavits  of  well  known  gentlemen  who  saw  them  and  knew  their  valu?. 
Hon.  John  W.  Moore,  Hon.  Wni.  R.  Benard.  Mr.  Paterson  Stewart.  Mr. 
Emerson  Hays,  sustained  the  judgment  of  the  appraiser,  making  eight 
affidavits,  including  four  on  file  at  the  Indian  office,  establishing  the 
value  of  the  property,  but  the  case  remains  in  the  hands  of  the  com- 
mittee Mr.  Cockerel  had  it  referred  to.  The  guardians  of  the  nation  has 
thrown  a  shield  around  its  Indian  wards  effective  to  prevent  his  being 
subjected  to  any  process  similar  to  those  existing  against  the  whites, 
en^rting  laws  making  the  v/h:te  man  pay  twice  the  just  value  of  the 
property  taken  or  destroyed  bvhim  belonging  to  Indians,  and  if  such 
offender  shall  be  unable  to  i)dy  a  sum  at  least  equal  to  said  just  value 
whatever  such  payment  shall  fall  short  of  the  said  just  value  shall  be 
paid  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  United  States  (1  Statutes  at  I  arg?,  i)ago 
470,  Sec.  4).  The  provisions  granting  indemnity  to  Indians  for  losses 
occasioned  by  white  persons  has  never  been  repealed.  It  is  still  an  ex- 
isting enactment  and  is  contained  in  Sees.  2154  and  2155,  United  States 
Revised  Statutes.  My  account  of  $18,150  is  filed  at  the  Bureau  of  In- 
dian Affairs,  with  the  statement  of  the  Indians  who  committed  the 
depredation,  and  Its  number.  748,  giving  the  Indians  credit  for  the  $9,000 
allowed   by  the  Honorable   Secretary   of  the  Interior.     There  is   still  a 


&7V  ' 
37 


balance  due  me  of  $9,150.  My  expense  was  $900  more  than  I  received 
from  the  award  allowed  by  the  Honorable  Secretary.  The  $3,000  which 
Mr.  Ewing  claimed  as  his  fee  will  show  the  gentlemen  who  examine  the 
evidence  in  the  case  that  my  expenditures  were  $3,900  over  the  balance 
of  my  account  and  as  yet  I  have  received  no  compensation  for  my  prop 
erty.  A  former  member  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  some  years 
ago,  introduced  a  bill  for  my  relief,  to  let  me  see  the  interest  he  had 
taken  in  my  claims.  After  the  adjournment  of  Congress  he  would  tell 
me  I  had  a  just  claim  but  Congress  would  not  allow  it,  as  it  was  already 
settled  by  the  Court  of  Claims. 

I  informed  my  Representative  friend  of  a  case  I  saw  in  one  of  the 
daily  papers,  where  the  government  was  sued  in  the  Court  of  Claims  by 
a  shipbuilding  company  of  Philadelphia  and  the  court  decided  in  favor 
of  the  government.  The  claimants  appealed  the  case  to  the  United 
States  Supreme  Court  and  that  honorable  tribunal  sustained  the  judgment 
of  the  Court  of  Claims;  then  the  claimants  appealed  to  Congress,  and  that 
honorable  body,  seeing  the  justice  of  the  c'aim,  allowed  it.  Hon.  Wil- 
liam Warner,  United  Senator  Senator,  is  a  resident  of  Kansas  City  42 
years.  I  knew  him  almost  the  entire  period  and  I  have  confidence  in  his 
honesty,  ability  and  statesmanship  to  have  my  claim  taken  up  and  acted 
on;  then  the  honorable  gentlemen  who  examine  the  case  will  see  the  long 
standing  injury  that  has  been  inflicted  on  me  by  the  wards  of  the  nation 
and  recommend  to  allow  whatever  is  justly  due. 


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